It is rare that I get excited about a rulebook. I like reading rules! But excitement is usually reserved for monster books and scenarios. But there are exceptions. Like the Pendragon Core Rulebook (2024). I am very excite. But also hesitant, because I know really digging in is going to make me want to start a Pendragon campaign. And I can’t. Yet.
As I mentioned yesterday, this sixth edition of the game was penned by Greg Stafford before his death in 2018 and represents what I assume will be the final iteration of the game. It is highly polished and I assume entirely tweaked, but then so was 5.2. I have trouble seeing what’s different, but then, that’s probably the point of the exercise — the best writing edit I’ve had made the work read better without me, the writer, being able to detect the alterations.
I suppose the main change is that this book lacks much of the GM material that was in 5.2 (which, jeeze, considering the page count here means that this is much-expanded). No monsters, no campaign advice, no intro squire scenario, no elaborate family history generators. Close reading of the rules will reveal many forthcoming titles that will update pretty much the entirety of the line as I expected — the campaign, a book about noble life, a book like Knights Adventurous with alternate backgrounds, a GM-focused book. Give me all of these, please. But this, this is what it says, the core rules, and is mainly aimed at players. It’s hefty, and there is a lot to take in, but I think it is extremely readable, fairly easy to pick up and modern in its approach. Speaking of, the most overhauled material I’ve noted is the expanded support for female knights, which is nice.
The book feels nice too. The paper is uncoated and has a warm, browning tone to evoke age. There are ruled margins everywhere, often with illumination-style grotesques in the gutters. The art is evocative and feels fresh without feeling particularly tied to modern art design trends — it feels a bit outside of time.
I can’t emphasize enough how ready I am for a full shelf of new Pendragon books. Truly.
